Latest news with #AEDC
ABC News
12 hours ago
- Health
- ABC News
Childcare, early education advocates sound alarm as development census results decline
Nearly half of Australian children are not considered on track with their development, according to the latest Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). The teacher questionnaire looks at children in their first year of school, and found just 52.9 per cent were on track in all five development areas surveyed in 2024. The results are an improvement on the first census taken in 2009, but a deterioration from the last survey in 2021. The percentage of children considered to be facing "significant challenges" to their development increased marginally in all areas, between 0.2 and 1.5 per cent. Chief executive of Early Childhood Australia Samantha Page told RN Breakfast the COVID-19 pandemic had played a major role in the latest result. "Play-based learning is really important for developing social competence and emotional maturity." Both those areas are assessed in the AEDC, along with physical health and wellbeing, language and cognitive skills, and communication skills and general knowledge. Ms Page stressed it was possible for developmentally vulnerable children to catch up, but that it took "a lot of resources". She said she supported the federal government's goal of a universal early education system, but the focus must be on disadvantaged children. Children from First Nations, non-English speaking, rural and remote, and low socio-economic backgrounds recorded worse results overall in the AEDC. The Labor government has promised to build more childcare centres in areas of need, and reforms to childcare subsidies, regardless of how much parents work or study, come into effect in January. "I think a country as well off as Australia really should have more than just over half of its children developmentally on track in the first year of school, and we really would like to see a concerted effort in response to this," Ms Page said. In the regional Victorian city of Ballarat, CEO of the Eureka Community Kindergarten Association (ECKA) Jo Geurts said the AEDC results could not be explained by the pandemic. "Early childhood was one of the only services that continued to operate all the way through COVID … in our region," she said. "I think it's more than that." She pointed to long waiting lists for health services, and workforce pay and training as areas in need of more investment. "The development of the brain in children in the years before they're eight years old is dramatic … so we need really high-quality educators," she said. Ms Geurts would like to see a shift in the language around the industry. "Yes, it's about workforce participation, particularly for women, but it's also got to be very much about children in a rich learning environment." Nearly one-quarter of Australian children live in a "childcare desert" — where three or more children compete for a place. That includes parts of the Wimmera, where early childhood advocacy group By Five works to close childcare gaps, and improve health outcomes by linking families with specialists and bringing allied health workers into schools. By Five executive officer Jo Martin said support must be tailored to community needs, and should be more flexible across departments and governments. "It's really important that we don't let … borders get in the way of getting the best outcomes for children," she said. Louise Middleton is a maternal child health nurse working in north-east Victoria, and has seen firsthand the challenges for people living more than 100 kilometres from key services. She told ABC Statewide Drive that developmental delays were exacerbated by long waiting lists. "If we [maternal child health nurses] pick up any issue with the child for their school readiness, we are absolutely unable to get them assessed in a timely manner," she said. "It's taking six to eight months just to get their in-home assessment, and then it's taking another six months for them to get NDIS or any other referrals and assistance." The federal and Victorian education ministers have been contacted for comment.
West Australian
2 days ago
- Health
- West Australian
Sharon Goldfeld and Yasmin Harman-Smith: Action needed to get children's developmental progress back on track
A child's early years provide the building blocks for a lifetime of good health, development and wellbeing. It's therefore vital that researchers and policymakers know whether children are developmentally on track. Australia is fortunate to have one of the world's most comprehensive collections of data on early childhood development in the world. Every three year since 2009, teachers have reported on five key areas of children's development in their first year of school as part of the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). Last year, with the support of teachers, schools and communities, the AEDC included over 94 per cent of Australian children. This week, the Australian Government released the 2024 results, with the findings suggesting a need for action. The data tells us that since the last census in 2021, the percentage of children developmentally on track across all five domains of the AEDC – physical health and wellbeing; social competence; emotional maturity; language and cognitive skills (school-based) and communication skills and general knowledge – has declined, at the same time as the number of children experiencing developmental vulnerability has risen. The findings also highlight that while drivers of this downturn have affected children and families across the socio-economic spectrum, a sizable equity gap in the developmental outcomes of children remains. Children living in the most socio-economically disadvantaged communities experience substantially higher rates of developmental vulnerability compared to their peers growing up in areas with greater access to material resources. These unwelcome trends risk Australia's future prosperity. To prevent these findings worsening, we need to know what's driving this developmental downturn. Is it related to the COVID-19 lockdowns (these children were babies and toddlers in 2020-22)? A reflection of cost-of-living pressures? Changes to the availability of early childhood intervention services or a lack of access to childcare and universal health services? How social media is affecting children's interactions? Are we effectively responding to children and families' changing needs? The truth is, we just don't have the answers right now. Hopefully, our research in coming months will help unpack cause and effect, but children's developmental needs must be prioritised. We can't relegate these statistics to a 'watch and wait' approach. In Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's election night speech, he spoke of building an Australia where 'no one is held back, and no one is left behind' — a future we want for all Australian children. These results don't need to be the canary in the coalmine. We know from previous AEDC data that we can improve how all children and families are supported in the early years. The crucial questions are what can we do right now to help meet children's early development needs? What plans will address these stark and seemingly immutable inequities? We have enough information to embark on evidence-based policy solutions, with remarkable political will — and capital — at the federal and state level. We recommend five universal or targeted strategies that should be implemented within current policy commitments which include: Ensuring childcare and preschool is of high-quality, equitable and accessible; delivering on foundational supports through inclusive universal health and education that can identify and respond to child and family needs; stacking high-quality and evidence-based services together in integrated hubs; rapidly implementing the Better and Fairer School Agreement funding to disadvantaged schools with evidence-based strategies to deliver holistic support to all children, especially those with additional needs and embedding the right data systems for local improvement, solutions and accountability to rapidly drive real systems change. There is a moment when we must stop being a spectator and start acting for change. That time is now. Australia must change the status quo if we are to see improvements reflected in the next AEDC in 2027. Professor Sharon Goldfeld is Theme Director at Murdoch Children's Research Institute; Associate Professor Yasmin Harman-Smith is Head of the Early Years Systems Evidence Team at The Kids Research Institute Australia
Zawya
22-04-2025
- General
- Zawya
Why Abuja communities are experiencing power outage — AEDC?
At least 20 communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have been plunged into darkness due to a technical fault and an explosion on key electricity feeders, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) has confirmed. The affected areas include Keffi Garage, Bank Road, Angwan Rama, Tsohon Kasuwa, CRDP, Makwala, Low-cost, Dadin Kowa, Angwan Ninzo, Tudun Amama, Angwan Kwano, Angwan Tsarin Mada, Gunduma, Gitata, Gangaren Tudun, Angwan Wake and surrounding environs. Also experiencing outages are Pyegi, Kurudu, Gidan Mango, Orozo, Karshi, and neighbouring communities, which are reportedly without electricity as a result of a separate technical fault. In a statement shared via its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, AEDC attributed the outage to an explosion on the 11kV incomer current transformer (CT), which damaged feeders supplying the affected areas. 'Dear esteemed customers, we regret to inform you of a power outage currently affecting the following areas: Keffi Garage, Bank Road, Angwan Rama, Tsohon Kasuwa, CRDP, Makwala, Low-cost, Dadin Kowa, Angwan Ninzo, Tudun Amama, Angwan Kwano, Angwan Tsarin Mada, Gunduma, Gitata, Gangaren Tudun, Angwan Wake and the environs, which has impacted the feeders supplying these locations. 'In addition, customers in Pyegi, Kurudu, Gidan Mango, Orozo, Karshi, and neighbouring communities are currently experiencing power outages due to a technical fault. 'Our dedicated teams are working diligently to resolve both issues and restore supply as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this period and remain committed to providing reliable service,' the statement read. AEDC has not provided a specific timeline for full restoration but assured customers that efforts are ongoing. Copyright © 2022 Nigerian Tribune Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
